Additional Director-General of Police (Traffic and Road Safety) Alok Kumar said the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based cameras had been deployed on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway on a trial basis to capture overspeeding cases.
“Inspected the progress of road safety related work on Bengaluru-Mysore Expressway. AI based cameras deployed on trial basis to capture over speeding…”, Mr. Alok Kumar tweeted.
Mr. Alok Kumar, who inspected the expressway on Tuesday, told reporters in Mysuru on Wednesday that speed limit for vehicles using the expressway has been displayed at several places along the route. While the speed limit is 100 km per hour on the lane on the right side, the speed limit for the middle lane is 80 km and for the lane on the left side of the road, the speed limit is 60 km.
Motorists violating the speed limit will be booked and penalised, he said while calling upon the police authorities to distribute pamphlets and make announcements at the starting point of the expressway in Mysuru on the traffic rules to be followed on the expressway.
He instructed Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Crime) Jahnavi to start distributing pamphlets and making announcements on not only adhering to speed limits, but also follow lane discipline. The motorists should also be warned against drunken driving and driving in the wrong direction on the expressway, he said.
Mr. Alok Kumar said he had identified at least 20 to 25 places on the 118.6-km-long expressway that are prone either prone to accidents or were posing a problem for the villagers on account of absence of foot overbridge and other facilities.
He said a lot of work is incomplete as the expressway had been inaugurated before the work was completed. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invited tenders for crash barriers at sharp curves and foot over bridges. Besides, work will also have to be taken up at the entry and exit points on the expressway. “But, it will all take time”, he said.
Also, the NHAI too had sent its own team of experts on road safety to carry out an inspection and the team is yet to submit the report.
He said the police department had put pressure on the NHAI for certain safety measures. “They have to provide the minimum requirements”, he said adding that the NHAI will be held accountable for “contributory negligence” in the event of a major mishap.
With regard to complaints of theft of fencing on the expressway that is aimed at providing access control to the motorists, Mr. Alok Kumar said the police department had not received any complaint from the NHAI in the regard so far. He said he had noticed that the fencing had been cut at a few places on the expressway, which would pose a threat to the life of pedestrians attempting to cross the road.
Mr. Alok Kumar said he found KSRTC buses and trucks to among the major violators of lane discipline on the expressway.
Hence, he has directed the City Police Commissioner Ramesh B. to discuss with the KSRTC Divisional Controller on holding a counselling session for the KSRTC drivers and staff.
Similarly, a counselling session should also be held for truck drivers in co-ordination with Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) authorities, he said.
